Man Gets Prison For Attempted Rape, Robbery Of Malibu Jogger
VAN NUYS (CBS) — A man who attacked a woman who escaped by scrambling down a cliff at Point Dume State Park in Malibu was sentenced Thursday to 24 years in prison.
KNX 1070's Claudia Peschuttia reports.
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Christian Marcus Verdin, 31, of San Bernardino, pleaded no contest to assault with intent to commit a rape and second-degree robbery in connection with the March 12 attack on the 45-year-old jogger.
In exchange for Verdin's no contest plea, Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Michael Kellogg dismissed two other counts — assault with a deadly weapon and grand theft auto.
Investigators believe Verdin was carrying scissors when he approached the woman, who managed to break free and leaped over the side of a bluff to escape to the beach below.
Verdin was arrested April 2 by Los Angeles County sheriff's detectives after a DNA match identified him as the alleged assailant, according to the District Attorney's Office.
He was sentenced to a three-year prison term in 2002 after being convicted of petty theft with priors, officials said.
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